Quick Update

Had regular contractions last night again from the time I got in bed at 11:00. Got up, moved around, changed positions, took a bath -- nothing would make them subside. Finally, at about 5:00, I called the doctor and Jon and I went to the hospital. The last time the doctor checked me at about 8:00am, I was only dilated 1/2 centimeter! DISAPPOINTING!!!! All that work for 1/2 a centimeter! The good thing is that the doctor said I was not having false labor, I was just in the early stages. Feeling a little more encouraged, I followed the doctor's orders and returned home.

My mom came in to town to keep me company -- thank goodness! My mother-in-law should be here later tonight. The contractions started to subside again this afternoon, so my mom and I went to the mall to walk around. What better place to labor in than Barnes and Noble, huh? Feeling much stronger contractions now. I hope they continue so that I can go back to the hospital tonight. I just have to say ... this labor thing is no joke. The contractions SUCK!!! I'm counting the minutes until I can get an epidural.

Say prayers and keep your fingers crossed that my little boy comes in the next 24 hours or so!! I don't think I can do these all-day/all-night contraction fests for much longer!

Making Some Progress??

Today was quite a lazy day for me. I spent most of the day on the couch sleeping, watching TV, and reading. I was so tired -- I didn't sleep for most of the night last night. I woke up around 2:00 and had regular contractions until about 5:00 -- not Braxton-Hicks, but contractions that felt like really bad period cramps. Finally, at 5:00, I decided to get out of bed and shower and then call the doctor. However, after I was up and moving, they kind of just went away -- must have been false labor. I have been having them off and on all day. I'll have one or two, then won't have any for like 20 minutes -- kind of frustrating, but at least I'm starting to feel a little different! The good news is that my body is showing some signs that labor could come soon -- I will spare you the yucky details! Maybe, just maybe, this baby will come before his induction date!

I'll keep you posted! I'm off to DQ for a snickers blizzard!

Too Cute!

Last night, I kept calling Jon to come downstairs for dinner. After about 10 minutes, he finally came down. "I was hanging out in Tanner's room," he said. I didn't think anything of it. Look what I just found:

Remember this guy?

He's been hanging out in that same spot since we finished the room.

This is how I found him when I walked by this afternoon:

I think somebody might have been pretending he was a real baby!!

:) That just melts my heart. :)

I Think I Might Have Made a Friend ...

Remember the girl I told you about whose email I was given by another woman from MOMS Club? Yeah -- you know -- the one who I emailed out of nowhere like a crazy woman desperate for friends to see if she wanted to get together sometime? Well, we got together yesterday for lunch and it turned out to be really fun. We had great conversation and lots to talk about with our pregnancies. Hopefully we will get together again soon! You have to know, I had to take a MAJOR step out of my comfort zone to just email a stranger and then actually go to meet her. But maybe that's what has to happen for God to start answering my prayer for friendship. Now if he could just bring me a few more friends ... I promise I'll be patient!

Not much is happening today. I went for a long walk this morning, but it was SO HOT outside, I think I'll just stay inside for the rest of the day. I'm trying to keep myself busy cleaning the house. (I even washed the windows!) My mother-in-law told me that's what she was doing when she went into labor with one of her boys, so I thought maybe it would work with me! Nothing yet, though. If this little guy only knew how many people were waiting to meet him!

Still No Baby

So today is my official due date. I'm still not feeling much different, though -- just waddling a little more than usual. I know its partly because my little guy is sitting so low right now. But it could also be due to too much junk food -- oops! After I lose this baby weight I will never joke again that my thighs are rubbing together, because now I know what that really feels like and it stinks! Does that stop me from asking Jon to take me to Dairy Queen for a snickers blizzard? NOPE!! Does is make me think twice about having just one more s'more as we roast marshmallows in our backyard? Absolutely NOT! I know most pregnant women hit a point in their pregnancy where they just aren't hungry because the baby is so big that there is just no room to fit food, but I never hit that point.

One of the things I'm most looking forward to is getting back into shape after Tanner is born. It's kind of like during the holidays -- where you kind of just let yourself go a little -- eat whatever you want, work out a little bit less. By the time January 1st comes, I'm usually ready to start eating much better and get my butt to the gym for harder workouts. That's kind of how I feel now. I can't wait to get some of this weight off! I hope my little guy likes to go for walks!

Jon and I had a pretty good weekend. On Friday night, I picked him up from work and we went to dinner with one of his old Army football teammates and his wife -- Mark and Ally. I had met them two or three times before while Jon was at West Point. They just had a little girl in March, so we had LOTS to talk about. It was so much fun! They live about 45 minutes away from us, but I told Ally that I'm not afraid to make the drive, so hopefully we'll get together often once I'm feeling settled with the baby. It was so nice to have someone to talk to!

On Saturday, we just kind of slept in, did some work around the house, and ran some errands. This was the first Saturday that Jon didn't golf for most of the day, so it was great just having him around to hang out with. I took him to TJ MAXX for his first time ever -- he loved it. Not quite the same love as my sister, Katherine, and I have for the place -- but still. "Why the HELL have I been shopping at Macy's?" was his reaction as we finished checking out and left. On Saturday night, we grilled out and then went to see Ocean's Thirteen. The movie was okay, but definitely not as good as the first one.

Yesterday we tried a new church. I really liked it and we'll probably go back again before we make a final decision. The worship wasn't very exciting -- nobody even stood up! But they did have a visiting group doing the music, so maybe that's why. The teaching was awesome, though. Sometimes I have trouble paying attention for the ENTIRE sermon, but not this time. I loved the minister! After church, we went to the community pool across the street for a few hours. Jon loves to watch all of the little kids and laugh at the funny things they do. He is SO excited for Tanner to get here and play with him! Jon loves the water and I can usually pick him out from everyone else because he is the one in the deep end doing handstands all by himself. After the pool, we came home, grilled out again, and then made s'mores in our little fire pit until like 10:00. It really was a great weekend.

Now, if only this little guy would stop being so stubborn and come out to meet us!!

Baby Update

I swear -- nothing can ever be easy for me. (Okay -- that's not completely true, but sometimes it feels that way.) My appointment today was scheduled for 1:30. At about 11:00, I got to thinking that I hadn't received a phone call in the past few days reminding me about my apointment. So I decided to call and confirm just in case. It's a good thing I called! They had no record of it! Luckily, I asked if they could squeeze me in sometime today with any one of their doctors and they were able to see me.

I LOVED the doctor that I saw. She didn't act rushed at all and was so pleasant and nice. The good news is that the baby is really low and head down. The bad news is that I am still not one bit dilated. She said that my cervix isn't ripe AT ALL -- whatever that means. (if there are any guys reading this I am sorry if that was too much information) The doctor set me up with an appointment to be induced in case the baby is really late, which I am really happy about. It's nice to know that this little boy will be in my arms by a certain date in the near future! We made the appointment for July 5. I'm so excited. If he comes before that, great. If not, I guess that's not so far off! My next appointment is on Thursday. Maybe I'll make a little progress before then!

I am measuring a little small, so maybe this little guy will have a chance to get a bit bigger before he comes out. My husband always says that he hopes Tanner has my size and his athletic ability. I'm pretty tall and strong for a girl and my husband is kind of average size for a guy -- but VERY athletic and coordinated. Just like many sports-obsessed dads, he has visions of his son playing quarterback for Ohio State or University of Michigan in 18 years. Unfortunately for my husband, one side of my family has pretty tiny genes -- my mom's family -- they range in height from about 4'10'' to 5'2''. So sometimes we joke -- what if Tanner comes out looking like my grandpa! My grandpa is the sweetest, fiestiest old man -- but he is SO SHORT -- like an oompaloompa! Too Funny! Seriously, though, I wouldn't mind a little Bobby Fagan!

Okay, got to go to bed now. All of you readers are so sweet to leave such encouraging comments for me! I just love reading them!

Desperate??

I got an email from this week's cooking club hostess. Apparently, the head of cooking club (whom I RSVP'd to) didn't tell her I was coming and only one other woman was going to be able to make it, so the two of them decided to cancel. OOPS! I could tell that she felt really bad. Oh well -- at least they know I was making an effort to be part of their group!

Another woman from MOMS club gave me an email address to a friend of hers who is expecting her first baby this fall, but is already staying home. I emailed her to see if she wanted to get together sometime, and we are going to plan something for next week. I am excited about making a potential friend, but I feel a little bit nervous as if I'm going on a blind date or something. The only way I'm going to ever make friends, though is to just put myself out there, right? Gosh, this is so much harder than I thought it would be.

Yesterday, my brother came to play golf with Jon after work. Of course, my mom talked him into coming in the morning so that she could ride along and we could spend the day together. My mother-in-law ended up coming, too. We had a lot of fun together. Eric kind of just stayed at the house and did his own thing until he had to go meet Jon. Us girls went to the farmer's market in town (so cute) and then shopped in all of the little shops and boutiques. It was so nice to have both of them here -- and like always, so good to have companions for the day. My mother-in-law was trying to make friends for me everywhere we went -- too funny. Nothing like feeling a little bit desperate!

I have another doctor's appointment today, so I will write more later!

All Right Already

I'm so bored. This must be God's way of getting me ready for my little boy to arrive. I look at the ticker on the top of my blog and can't believe my due date is just 5 days away. I certainly don't FEEL like I'm going to go into labor anytime soon. I haven't had any signs and to tell you the truth -- I actually feel the exact same way I did probably a month ago. All this waiting is for the birds.

Cooking Club Disappointment

Okay, I feel like a complete idiot, but I really don't know what I did wrong.

The MOMS club that I joined has a cooking club and they were supposed to be meeting this morning at 10:00 at one of the members' homes. The theme was "breakfast foods," so I made my favorite -- sticky cake -- yum yum. I have to say, it turned out just perfect and I had taken it out of the oven right before I left so that it would still be warm when I arrived. I got there at about 10:05, rang the doorbell, waited ... knocked on the door, waited ... nobody ever answered. Of course, I'm thinking I must have made a mistake -- written the date and time down wrong or got the wrong address. There was only one car in the driveway -- so it didn't look like a get-together was happening or anything. After waiting for about 5 minutes, I got back in my car and drove home. Immediately I checked my email. I had two emails with the date, time, address, and directions to the house, along with a section in the MOMS Club newsletter about it. I had everything correct. So I thought -- why not just drive back and make sure I had the right house. I did have the correct house, and there were still no cars in the driveway, so I turned around and came home again.

I feel like a total loser -- and I know I shouldn't. I'm not quite sure what happened. I emailed the girl in charge and asked if it had been cancelled, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet. I should have been more persistent with the knocking and doorbell ringing. But really, I didn't want to knock the door down and then find out it wasn't even the right house or something. Hmmm ... WIERD.

Starting to Worry ... :)

Today as we were leaving church, Jon says to me:

"So how are we going to decide who sits back in the section with the babies and who sits closer to the front each week."

SERIOUSLY???

Don't worry ... I got him all straightened out on that one.

My Husband Says the Funniest Things ...

So last night, Jon and I were sitting outdoors at this fantastic place we found for dinner. We were excitedly talking about what we think it's going to be like those first few moments after Tanner is born. I just wanted to make sure he was prepared and I told him that you are supposed to try to nurse the baby soon after he is born. He was like, "Umm ... I leave the room for that, right?"

Oh. My. God.

And he wasn't even kidding.

:)

This morning was my next doctor's appointment after having last week's cancelled. Thankfully, I got to see someone this time! The whole visit only lasted about 5 minutes, though. The doctor basically just checked me and left -- didn't even sit down at the end and ask if I had any questions -- which I did! Oh well. I think he was REALLY busy -- there were tons of other pregnant ladies in the waiting room. I had secret hopes of being dilated at least a little bit and having the doctor tell me that it wouldn't be long now. However, I'm still not dilated at all, but I refuse to be disappointed about that! My little guy is going to come whenever he's ready and there is nothing I can do about it. (Which is especially true if he's anything like his dad!) I read somewhere last week that when the baby is ready, he releases a hormone and that's what gets everything going -- crazy!

After my appointment, I went to Borders to sit in the cafe and read. I wondered if it was against the rules to go to the bookstore and read your books from the library. :) Nobody kicked me out, though. I probably could have stayed there all day. Of course I did some browsing and also spent a while reading a book on breastfeeding. I feel totally committed to it, but I'm still a little anxious about all the details and feeling a little awkward at first. I guess it's one of those things that you can't really learn without experiencing it first.

I finished The J.A.P. Chronicles. It was basically about several EXTREMELY privileged Jewish girls who are bunkmates at camp for many years together. It tells about each girl's defining moment in life. It was good at first, but by the end, I was kind of sick of seeing the "f" word so often. I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. However, if you are looking for some good, light, funny summer reads, you should try Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I read those earlier this spring and LOVED both. She's also got another one out called Baby Proof.

Okay, gotta go. I'm on a mission to find a fun restaurant for Jon and I to eat at tonight. We have to take advantage of this last bit of time with just the two of us!

I went to my first mom's club meeting today. It went pretty well and the women were very friendly. I think I'm going to like it!

I've been a little bit bored since the meeting ended this morning, though. I know there are definitely a few things I could do -- like go through the house and get all of the marks off the walls with a magic eraser or do some ironing. But none of that sounds very fun, does it? I guess I'll just do some reading instead. I'm very proud of myself. I actually went to the LIBRARY yesterday to get some books instead of Barnes & Nobles or Borders. It totally wasn't as fun looking for a book without a good latte, but that's okay -- it was free! I picked up these books:

The J.A.P Chronicles
The Thirteenth Tale
The Rapture of Canaan

They should keep me busy for a while! I'll let you know how they are! So far, I am enjoying The J.A.P Chronicles -- a fun summer read that requires absolutely no thought whatsoever.

Ready and Waiting

I decided to forego the expensive bumpers. Now I can see my little guy as soon as I peek in the room. :)

My favorite part of his room -- the comfy glider and ottoman (and I got them for such a good deal!)

Who Loves You, Baby? Pics of all of our family members above Tanner's changing table.

This little guy is already waiting for his new friend to get here. Doesn't he look so cute?!

Today or Next Month?

Yes, the countdown is really on! Less than two weeks until my official due date. I think the hardest part about this time is realizing that the due date I've been looking forward to since the beginning of pregnancy (which seems like ages ago) does not actually determine when I will give birth. So really, it could be today, or it could be in a MONTH if I am late. It's kind of like waiting for your husband to return from a deployment. You have a general idea of when he will get home, but you never know the exact day until you get the call the night before. I guess I'll just have to be nice and patient, enjoying these last few days (weeks??) of uninterrupted sleep and little responsibility. The nursery is finally finished (I'll post pictures soon), the carseat has been installed and inspected, and our bags are packed for the hospital so everything is ready for his arrival!

I'm still feeling really good. Definitely a little more tired than usual, but other than that, I'm not completely uncomfortable or anything. I was very disappointed on Saturday morning. I was supposed to have my weekly appointment with the doctor to check and see how I was doing and monitor the baby, but she had to cancel that morning because she got stuck at the hospital. Bummer -- especially because I didn't find out she had cancelled until I was AT the doctor's office! So I just swung by Starbucks for a frappucino and made my way to Babies 'R' Us and then the mall for some retail therapy. (If you can call spending $80 on nursing bras retail therapy!) I have another appointment this Friday, so I'll just have to wait until then to see if I've made any progress. At the last appointment, they said I was measuring a little bit small. Growing like I'm supposed to between visits, but just a little bit smaller than normal. The doctor didn't seemed concerned at all, she just said I probably won't have a huge baby, which is fine. I wasn't dilated yet or anything.

I do have some really good news to report. I had a bit of a meltdown last week as I talked on the phone to my mom. I know a lot of it had to do with hormones, but I was just feeling upset that I haven't met anyone yet from my area. She suggested that I google "Newcomers Club," so I did. I found two groups -- one for stay-at-home moms in the area, and another one for women new to my town. I have already emailed both groups and received information for how to get involved. YAY!! I am going to my first "Mom's Club" meeting on Thursday. They have tons of activities and ways to get involved. Book club, cooking club, play groups, mom's night out, coffee house discussions on parenting, service projects, etc. Sounds exactly like what I need. I'll let you know how it goes!

My little brother and his girlfriend came Sunday night to stay with us. He had planned a birthday surprise for her -- a day at Six Flags, so they got here Sunday night and left yesterday morning to spend the day at the amusement park. I think they had a good time. My mom and sister snagged a ride here with them and stayed also. I was so glad they came! We spent all day yesterday shopping. So much fun. I didn't really buy anything, but it was great to have company with me all day.

Well, I better get going and get to the gym. I slept in and have been watching "Oprah" and "The View" since I got up. No more excuses. Time to get my day going. I'll write more soon!

Bumper Pads??

I'm completely obsessed. I can't think of anything except for my baby and what life will be like with him. I apologize that every single post I write has something to do with my pregnancy! But oh well, it is the most exciting thing going on around here these days. Everytime I walk past his room I think about what it will be like when there is a real live baby in there! I hope he's like his daddy and likes to snuggle because I just can't wait to hold him (and I know his daddy can't wait either)!!

So I have an important question for all of you wonderful mothers out there. What do you think about bumper pads? Everything I read as far as safety pretty much says that you shouldn't have them, but they are so darn cute! Mine just came in the mail today and I just love them, except Jon feels pretty strongly that we shouldn't have them. They just make the crib look all cute and comfy and finished. I'm considering sending them back and using the money to buy the curtains that go with my bedding set instead. I don't know what to do. Any advice from someone with some experience?

The Sweetest Card

Until this past Sunday, I had yet to cry at a baby shower. Then I got this card ...


What can I give you ...
when you're about to bring home the moon
and the stars
wrapped in a soft flannel blanket;

when you're already practically face to face with an angel ...

What could I get you
that even comes close
to the tiny miracle
whose birth you've long awaited ...

A little rubber tub for bath time?

Or a tiny little comb and brush for hair as soft as down ...

Or maybe I could buy a squeaky yellow rubber ducky.

Oh,
If I could give you anything,
Anything in the whole wide world,
I'd give you the gift of knowing,
that you're the very best gift your baby will ever recieve.

Sniff sniff -- I've read it about 10 times now and it still makes me a little weepy.

HOT

I've just checked the temperature outside and it's only like 78 degrees. My air conditioner is on. However, I'm sitting here practically sweating. I am someone who is always cold, yet I haven't slept with any covers in like 2 weeks. I keep threatening my husband that we are going to get a fan in our room and he pleads with me not to as he is cold at night. He probably just likes how I have to practically strip down naked to keep from sweating to death. :) This is too wierd. It's a good thing I only have one more month of pregnancy and don't have to go through the entire summer!

Little T's room is slowly coming along. The bedding has been ordered and shipped and Jon just needs to get the furniture assembled. I've started washing his blankets, towels, hand-me-down clothes, etc in special baby detergent (it took 5 loads if you can believe it). I haven't even started on the new clothes and onesies that are hanging in his closet. I think I'll just do a few newborn outfits and then save the rest to launder once we are sure he really is a boy! It took me two full days to go through all of his things. I have to admit, though, it made me really excited to meet my little guy! Unbelievable that he could be here sometime in the next few weeks! I went yesterday to buy our car seat and stroller. I'm hoping to install it and go to get it inspected tomorrow. Then we'll officially be okay to bring our baby home from the hospital! The pack'n'play is all set up right next to my bed. I keep looking inside it and feeling amazed that there is actually going to be a little person in there soon!

Do you ever REALLY feel prepared to be a mother? I mean, I was sure I was ready for this way before we even started trying to have a baby. Now I have this feeling like, "oh crap, what did I get myself into!" Don't get me wrong -- I am completely excited and feel SO blessed -- but like I've said before, I'm so scared! It's kind of the same feeling I had when I waited at the starting line of my half-marathon a few years ago. Or for those of you in Colorado Springs -- the way you feel when you start the Incline -- after you are about 50 steps into it and you see that you still have what seems like 999,950 steps to go. It's the same way I felt when my parents dropped me off at college and I sat there at the welcome banquet with all of the other volleyball players, wondering just what life would be like as a college athlete. Like "YIKES!! Can I really do this???" Anyone who knows me, especially my husband, knows that being a "mom" (and wife, of course) is all I've ever REALLY wanted to be. Now I feel like I'm getting ready to start my dream job, the most important thing I'll ever do, the thing I've looked most forward to in life, and I just don't want to mess up. I want to enjoy every second of it.

It helps a lot when I read other mothers' blogs, like the Foss Family's, the Berndt Family's, or Gasperiniville. Their sweet pictures and anecdotes about their everyday lives help me to see that it's all going to be okay. I just need to RELAX about it all ... but I don't want to be TOO relaxed ... Oh my ...

I've been putting off going to the gym for about 3 hours now, so I better get going. Then I'm going to shower and treat myself to an afternoon at the book store reading and sipping a decaf latte -- or maybe a frappucino or milkshake instead with all of this heat!

My mom sent me a forward about being a mother and I just thought this picture was SO cute. Had to share ...

It's Been Too Long

What a lazy blogger I've become! It's been more than a month since my last post. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to my sweet friends in Colorado Springs! The move honestly hasn't been anything like I expected. I envisioned myself sitting on my back porch with a lemonade each day, finally getting some time to read all of those books on how to parent and get my baby to sleep well. However, it has taken much longer than I expected to get my house in order, get things ready for little T's arrival, etc. I only have 2 more rooms left to organize, and then I can get some of that relaxing in!

Two weeks ago, my mom and sister came to visit, which was SO MUCH FUN!! We went shopping, got pedicures, and just hung out. I just loved having them here, having constant companionship throughout my day. I have a tendency to work work work trying to get everything done on my "to do" list and by the time Jon gets home, I haven't talked to anyone all day! I'm working up the nerve to take my neighbor over some banana bread sometime this week and offer to walk with her if she ever takes her kids out. I'm such a chicken! Anyways, my mom and sister stayed from Wed to Fri and then Jon and I drove home to Michigan with them.

That first weekend, the women in my family had a baby shower for me. It was SO perfect and special. I couldn't help looking around at all of the wonderful women there and feeling incredibly blessed to be part of a legacy of such love and encouragement! It made me feel much less nervous about becoming a mom -- I know I'll have more support than I could ever ask for from my grandma, aunts, cousins, and sisters. The best part was being able to spend time chatting with my cousin, Carolyn, who became a mother this past year. Her stories and advice were so much fun to hear!

After my shower, Jon went back home and I stayed in Michigan for the week! Once again, I thought my time there would finally be a chance to relax, but it didn't quite happen like that! We spent the week preparing for and having a garage sale. We got rid of lots of junk and I made some extra cash, which is always nice! Then it was time to get ready for my little brother's graduation party. Everything turned out wonderful and all of our hard work payed off! I finally got my chance to relax on Monday when my dad took all of us out on his boat. It was a gorgeous day and it was so nice to have all of my family together! Last night Jon came to pick me up and I am back at home again. I missed my hubby! I am glad to be back here with him! We're taking one last trip home next weekend to watch my brother graduate and have one last baby shower. Then it will be no more traveling until the baby comes!

Jon seems to be liking his job so far. He is still learning about what he needs to do, but likes the people he works with and is already getting involved in the golf and basketball leagues. I get up with him every morning and make him his coffee and toast. I love watching him leave. He is always in a good mood and looks so handsome in his clothes for work!

As far as my pregnancy goes, I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm starting to feel just a little bit more tired than before, and just a little uncomfortable when it comes to sitting or lying in one place for a long period of time. I was getting a little bit nervous for a while because everyone who saw me commented on how small my tummy was for how far along I am. At first, I just dismissed it, but then started to get nervous as I heard the same thing over and over. My doctor said I was measuring just right, but still ... Anyways -- I have grown so much this past week, I think I'm finally looking more normal. Jon couldn't believe how much I had changed in the week I spent at home! I have another doctor's appointment later this week and should be going once a week from now on. I can't believe there's less than 30 days left until I'm due!!